The Barton Mines Company opened this garnet mine in the 1980s, replacing its nearby mine at Gore Mountain, which it had been operating since 1878. Garnet is a hard mineral, used to make sandpaper, and abrasives for polishing glass, including lenses and optics. The Ruby Mountain mine was the source for the cornerstone for the Freedom Tower, the replacement for the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan. https://clui.org/projects/more-programs-projects/adirondack/explore-adirondack_park/ruby-mountain-garnet-mine